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Wolfblade
Chapter]] The Wolfblade is an ancient honour guard of Astartes from the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter who protect the Navigator House of Belisarius on Terra, in accordance with an ancient pact forged at the time of the Great Crusade over 10,000 standard years ago. The Wolfblade is responsible for training House Belisarius' troops under the command of the House's Celestarch and leading them into battle. They act as the Belisarius Celestarch's strong right arm when there is a need. They slay his enemies in open battle and by stealth when required. History The origins of the Wolfblade can be traced back over ten thousand Terran years. The ancient pact between the Navigator House of Belisarius and the Space Wolves is lost to legend, but the most commonly accepted version of the story dates from the time of the Great Crusade and the friendship between Primarch Leman Russ and Alexander Belisarius. Belisarius was a Navigator of superlative skill, said to have aided the Wolf King on many of his campaigns. On the day of the Feast of Founding they are said to have sworn a pact of eternal friendship. As a sign of this friendship, the Belisarius family agreed to provide Navigators for the Chapter in perpetuam, in return for the Space Wolves' martial aid. An entire Pack of Space Wolves would accompany the Celestarch of House Belisarius as his bodyguard back to Terra, comprised of one Astartes for each Navigator granted by the House to the Space Wolves, which means the Wolfblade normally numbers 24 Astartes. Given the fractious nature of the Navigator Houses of the Navis Nobilite, and a commercial rivalry which, at that time, could result in conflicts as large as wars, this was an alliance of vast importance for the Navigators. The Space Wolves still enjoy a close bond to House Belisarius, an alliance between a Navigator House and a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes shared only by the Blood Ravens, White Scars, and Blood Angels Chapters. Role The members of the Wolfblade have multiple roles to fulfill in the performance of their duties. Normally they are scattered hither and yon about the Imperium performing various assignments. They not only provide personal security to the senior members of House Belisarius but also carry out covert missions on behalf of the Navigator House and are responsible for the martial training of the House's private troops. Though the Navigator Houses have no formal soldiery they do maintain a powerful security force that essentially performs the same function. They also make use of mercenary companies under permanent contract who have served them so long that they might as well be a formal part of the House and serve as a private House army in all but name. For most Space Wolves, an assignment to the Wolfblade is considered a dubious honour, for most warriors do not enjoy being separated from their Pack and the rest of their comrades within their Great Company. Becoming a Wolfblade also offers few opportunities to compile new passages in the ongoing sagas of their lives associated with the glory of battle. For these reasons, many of the Space Wolves posted to Terra as Wolfblades often receive the assignment as a punitive form of exile, for they were deemed outcasts and misfits within the Chapter. However, sometimes a Battle-Brother is sent to join the Wolfblade because their Wolf Lords saw leadership potential in the selected warrior. Many of the Chapter's greatest leaders have been members of the Wolfblade, for their secondment to House Belisarius often developed their political savvy and helped them gain invaluable insight into the political workings of the Imperium at large. Such service on Terra also allowed these Space Wolves to develop important contacts within the hierarchy of the various Imperial Adepta that would later serve the Chapter's interests. Notable Wolfblades *'Wolfblade Valkoth' - A senior member of the Wolfblade and superior to Ragnar Blackmane, Haegr the Mountain and Torin the Wayfarer, Valkoth was well-versed in the politics of the Navis Nobilite on Terra and just how dangerous they could be. *'Ragnar Blackmane' - When Blackmane was a young Blood Claw, he helped to prevent the return of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion to the world of Garm, a planet sacred to the Space Wolves because it was the home of the Shrine of Garm's Skull, by casting the Spear of Russ into a Warp Gate, an action which for a time earned him the bitter enmity of his fellow Battle-Brothers. As punishment, he was sent to Terra in exile by the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar to serve in the Wolfblade. Grimnar informed the young Space Wolf warrior that though he agreed with his actions, he could not let them go unpunished. Therefore, he was sending Ragnar to the Wolfblade, not only as punishment, but to protect him from potential attempts on his life by Battle-Brothers angry over his actions on Garm. Eventually, Ragnar helped to recover the lost relic and earned redemption in the eyes of his Chapter, as well as promotion to the rank of Wolf Lord, the youngest Astartes to ever achieve that exalted rank. *'Wolfblade Haegr the Mountain' - Haegr's legendary size was matched only by his legendary appetite. Friend and comrade to Ragnar Blackmane and a fellow member of the Wolfblade bodyguard assigned to the Navigator House Belisarius, Haegr was a Space Wolf of immense size whose bulk was the result of an aberrant mutation in his development in which he simply did not stop growing. Although many saw Haegr as a strange simpleton, Haegr was nevertheless relentless, loyal and fiercely potent in combat. Haegr met his end during the Charys Campaign, but in doing so saved the Chapter with his sacrifice, using his last moments of life to wrest the Spear of Russ from the grasp of the Thousand Sons Chaos Sorcerer Madox and thwarting his attempts to destroy the Space Wolves. *'Wolfblade Magni' - A young and impetuous Astartes recently assigned to the Wolfblade, Magni fought with distinction but was killed during the Battle for Hyades. *'Wolfblade Skander Bloody-axe' - Skander was a member of the Wolfblade. He was the previous bearer of the Frost Blade now wielded by Ragnar Blackmane. Skander was a Space Wolf who went through initiation and basic training with Logan Grimnar and was one of the few remaining members of Grimnar's original Blood Claw Pack. There were few Astartes left from that generation in the Chapter now, and Grimnar and Skander were among the last. Skander was killed during the assassination of the Patriarch of the Navigator House Bellisarius. Ragnar replaced him in the ranks of the Wolfblade and, after losing his Chainsword while fighting to save the new Patriarch of House Bellisarius, was gifted with Skander's Frostblade as a replacement and reward. *'Wolfblade Torin the Wayfarer' - The second companion and friend of Ragnar Blackmane in the Wolfblade, Torin was a cunning if eccentric Space Wolf, who had the rare talent of understanding foreign cultures and politics. His service with the Wolfblade was exemplary, but like many Astartes of the Chapter sent to serve within the unit, he was not well suited to life with the rest of the Chapter. Torin was specially trained by House Belisarius in the ways of the Navigator Houses, and how to engage in the elaborate schemes of cloak-and-dagger intrigue which definded their byzantine politics. He was the only Space Wolf to voluntarily become a member. Sources * Space Wolf - The Second Omnibus (Omnibus Novel) **''Wolfblade'' (Novel) by William King **''Son's of Fenris'' (Novel) by Lee Lightner **''Wolf's Honour'' (Novel) by Lee Lightner es:Cuchillos del Lobo Category:W Category:Space Wolves Category:Space Marines Category:Imperium